A Royal Scandal
by ClaireBear1982
Summary: Immediately Draco's eyes were drawn to the boy with black mussed up hair, and the biggest green eyes he'd ever seen. Draco's heart started hammering against his ribs, and butterflies filled his stomach...


A/N: Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.

Captain of Pride of Portree.

Theme: Much Ado About Shakespeare. _Monarchy. _Write about Wizarding Royalty. (This can be interpreted however you like - - a wizarding version of the royal family, a person/family that is revered as if they were royalty, etc.)

* * *

"Your Grace, it's time to get up," Eliza Sutton said to a young Prince Draco. Eliza was Draco's nanny; she had been with him since his birth, and knew him better than he knew himself.

Draco stretched, luxuriating in the feeling of his new silk sheets. He yawned.

"Come on now, no time for dawdling this morning, your Grace, King Potter is visiting today," reminded Nanny.

Draco groaned. Another King, another daughter, another possible suitor. The only problem was that women held absolutely no interest for him. He found most to be vain, shallow creatures, who either enraged him, or bored him to death.

"Now, now your Grace, your father is working hard to find you a match, so less of the sighing," Eliza said in admonishment. Inwardly she was grinning, she knew of his proclivity for the same sex, but held her tongue.

"What do you know of it?" snapped Draco. "Are you married? Were you forced by your parents to marry?"

"My parents died when I was young, your Grace. And no, I'm not married, as you well know. I've spent my life dedicated to you and your wellbeing," Eliza admonished yet again.

Draco muttered something that sounded very much like 'lucky you.'

Eliza grit her teeth. Yes she loved the boy like one of her own, but occasionally, she wished he wouldn't be so callous and maybe think of other people's feelings.

"Get a move on, boy!" Eliza snapped.

Realising he'd upset Nanny, Draco attempted to apologise, but Eliza cut him off. "Don't your Grace, you'll only disappoint me further if you apologise. Just get yourself dressed, and go down to breakfast."

Draco hastily dressed himself and sped from his room. Once he was gone Eliza allowed herself a moment of lament. Her sweet, cheeky little boy was all grown up. Impatiently, Eliza brushed away the tears that fell, and busied herself with making the bed, before heading downstairs to the dining room to help serve breakfast.

"Good morning, Mother, Father," said Draco as he sat down to breakfast.

King Lucius merely nodded at his son, whilst Queen Narcissa smiled warmly at him.

"Good morning, Draco. I hope you slept well," said his mother.

"I did. Thank you, Mother. I hope your night was a good one," replied Draco politely.

Narcissa bit her lip and imperceptibly shook her head. Draco sighed. His mother was in poor health, and spent most nights awake and in pain. But she always made a valiant effort to be up and at breakfast.

"Today you will be meeting Princess Lyra, and I want you on your best behaviour," barked Lucius breaking the moment between mother and son.

"Yes, Father," said Draco in deference to the man before him. But Draco would make up his own mind about whether or not he would behave.

"Your Royal Highness, may I present King James Potter, Queen Lily Potter, Prince Harry Potter, and Princess Lyra Potter of the Western Isles."

Draco stood beside his father in the throne room, and watched the Potter Royal Family arrive. Immediately Draco's eyes were drawn to the boy with black mussed up hair, and the biggest green eyes he'd ever seen. Draco's heart started hammering against his ribs, and butterflies filled his stomach. For a moment he felt as though all the air had been knocked from his chest. It had been a number of years since Draco had last seen the Potter children, he couldn't believe how gorgeous Harry was now.

"King Lucius, we thank you for your hospitality," said King James with a flourishing bow.

Draco watched as Prince Harry rolled his eyes at his father's theatrics, and the smallest of smiles tugged at Draco's lips.

"I present my daughter, Lyra," continued James. "She is pure and untouched."

Lyra blushed to her roots, but it was doubtful that Draco even noticed; his eyes hadn't left Harry. Harry's eyes met Draco as well and he gave him an inquisitive glance when he realised he was being stared at.

"Draco, take Princess Lyra on a tour of the castle grounds," King Malfoy suggested.

"Would you like to join?" Draco couldn't help but ask the emerald-eyed prince. Harry nodded.

"Yes, better to chaperone the princess, wouldn't you say, Father?" he added, looking to his father for reassurance.

"Of course," King Potter suggested. When Draco saw his father's expression, the former knew it was clear to _him_ why Draco had invited the prince along. King Malfoy was glaring at his son, but they both knew that he would not say anything untoward in front of their guests.

As the two men walked on either side of the princess, Draco pretended to be interested in showing her the castle grounds, every so often stealing a glance at Harry.

It was the most alone he would ever get with the Princess, unless he ended up needing to marry her. He had no intention of marrying her, she held no appeal to him, her brother however - he was something else.

When the King and Queen heard that Draco had shown more interest in Lyra, Narcissa was pleased. But Lucius knew better than his wife. He saw the looks between the Princes this time. He noticed that Prince Harry offered to be chaperone very easily.

"I think your father suspects something," Harry remarked to Draco as the three of them were sitting in the gardens. Lyra giggled slightly at her brother's statement.

"I don't know what you mean. There is nothing to suspect," Draco replied, turning his head away so that the siblings would not be able to see him blushing.

"I'm not surprised King Malfoy has noticed. In fact, I'm sure the whole castle has. Aside from you two oblivious fools, of course," Lyra said.

Draco cast his eyes downward, sadly. "I was hoping we were more discreet than that. My father will never allow me to marry anyone he had not chosen. I am not looking forward to rebelling against him in this matter."

"I do not think our father will mind, but-" Harry began, but his sister cut him off.

"I have something to tell both of you, which might help your case."

"Huh?" Harry was looking very confused, but Draco was clearly interested.

"I do not like men, in _that_ manner. Or even women, for that matter. Plainly speaking, I am not interested in marrying anyone at all."

"Lyra! How come you never told me? Or Father?"

She shook her head at Harry. "I never saw the need before now," she admitted. "At least this means I can help the two of you."

"Help us? How?" Draco asked, forgetting himself in his excitement.

"Well, I intend to speak to my father soon, telling him of my proclivities, or rather, lack thereof, and also about the affection you two hold for each other. My father, thankfully is much more yielding than yours. Besides, mother knows already. I am certain that they will not mind if you two choose to run away to our kingdom and marry."

"Well, an elopement will be an interesting way to unite the two kingdoms. But I don't see why not. Draco?" Harry was looking at the other prince questioningly.

Draco was sitting quietly, deep in thought. The plan was not a terrible one. He could be with the person he wished to marry, and Lyra would not be forced into an unwanted marriage. The only drawback was what would be his father's surely unpleasant opinions on the whole matter. The Malfoy kingdom would be left without an heir, and on top of that they would also have to deal with the embarrassment of him having run away.

He felt a twinge of pain for his mother. She was frail, and had done nothing to deserve this. He mentally made a note to speak to her before he left. For his father, however, he felt no sympathy. Lucius Malfoy looked out only for his own benefit, and in the process he had hurt his son and wife many times, leaving Draco without much love for his father.

Draco turned back to his friends and nodded. "When are we leaving?"

* * *

Draco was in his room, tossing things haphazardly into a bag, when Eliza came into the room.

"Your Grace, what are you doing?" she asked him, looking at his haste.

"I have fallen in love with Prince Harry. I know you have suspected this for a while, but things have reached a head with my father getting more and more insistent about the wedding. Hence, I am planning to run away with him. I will need your help," he told her not turning around from his luggage. Eliza looked on at his actions.

"Is there no other way?" she asked after a short pause. She was desperate to keep him here, keep him close by.

"You know Father would never allow it," he said pausing to meet the woman's eyes. She had cared for him all these years, and he loved her dearly.

"Okay, after all, I only want what's best for you, my _son,_" she replied, the last words slipping out unwillingly from her mouth.

Draco stopped and turned towards her. "Did you just call me…" he was unable to finish the sentence, and left his mouth open in shock.

Eliza took a deep breath and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Eliza?" Draco asked again, not believing that he had heard correctly the first time. Eliza simply nodded to his questioning gaze.

"Yes, Draco. You are my very own son." She had a pained smile on her face.

"But how?"

"You know what your father is like. When your mother's sickness rendered her unable to bear any children for him, he took in a few women to fulfil that duty. I was one of them."

Draco stared at her in disbelief as the words sunk in.

"I begged to be allowed to be with you, and your father conceded, under the condition that this secret will never be revealed to you or anyone else."

"And all these years, you kept it from me?" he asked. Eliza looked away from him as the tears began to flow freely.

"I had no choice," she replied, brokenly. Draco walked up to her, and embraced her. He knew what consequences his father would have threatened her with, and he did not blame her. If anything, he was glad she had stayed with him as he grew up.

As he was hugging his _true _mother, pondering the lies that Lucius had told him and the rest of the kingdom, an idea began to form in his mind. An idea that could ensure an heir to the kingdom, without any embarrassment to anyone, along with everyone's happiness, except possibly his father's.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, one more time.

"Of course I'm sure," Draco replied again, the mischief shining in his grey eyes. He squeezed Harry's hand before he let go, and the two of them walked to confront the king together.

"Father," Draco addressed the king, making him look up from the table in the office. Lucius Malfoy looked up to see his son and Prince Harry in his office.

"What is this about Draco?" he asked in a dismissive tone.

"Well, I found out some interesting news," he started.

"Oh pray tell," Lucius replied with an uninterested drawl.

"About my parentage," Draco continued, and his father went as white as a sheet. He suddenly sat up and paid attention. He knew what this threat meant.

"I can assure you whatever you heard, it was a lie," he insisted. His vehement denial, without even hearing what he had to say, told Draco all he needed to know.

Nonetheless, Draco nodded, pretending to think about it for a while. After he had already spoken to his biological mother, as well as Narcissa, he was sure that he _knew _the truth already, but he also wasn't surprised his Father was denying it all.

"So, with me not being a legitimate child of the Malfoy family, I am not eligible to be the heir," he said, trying to resist a smirk.

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco, what is this about? The boy?" he asked, nodding in Harry's direction.

"Well, as a matter of fact, yes. If you allow me and Harry to be wed, you will have an heir and save yourself the embarrassment of confessing to the rest of the family, as well as the people," he said.

"And if I refuse?" Lucius asked warily, in response.

"Then I will go and publicly announce that I am not fit to rule because I am not Narcissa's biological son, and go to the Potter kingdom, where I have been assured I am welcome, and elope with Harry anyway," he said. Draco could see the wheels turning in his Father's head. It wouldn't be easy for a man with old fashioned ideals to accept an idea so different.

"I know you can do it, Father," Draco continued. "You've been lying to everyone about so many things for years. What's one more?"

Harry gave Draco a look that said surely he was pushing it a bit, but Draco was furious with his father, and believed that it was time he got what was coming to him.

Draco could see his father's expression turning from the calm, collected mask, to frustration very quickly.

"Who was fool enough to fill your head with such nonsense?" he barked angrily.

"It is not nonsense, as you yourself have proven. And Eliza herself told me, but it was corroborated by Mother," Draco replied.

Lucius had just opened his mouth to command his soldiers to bring him Eliza, when Draco cut him off.

"No, father. You will not hurt Eliza or mother for this confession. I think I need not repeat my threat. You know what will happen if you will be a situation that benefits both of us, father. I will keep your reputation and the kingdom's dignity safe, while you will _very kindly_ allow me to have the man I choose in marriage. I know you. I know how much your reputation means to you. Stop being foolish, Father, and make this decision sooner, rather than later, for all our good."

Draco was right about his father. In the end, Lucius had to relent and give in to his son's requests, as much as he hated the idea. He needed Draco to keep this discovery of his heritage quiet, and he was willing to do anything it takes to keep his reputation.

When the announcement of Prince Draco's marriage to Prince Harry was made, the kingdom was divided; some believed that the young Prince should only marry someone of the opposite sex, whilst others celebrated the Prince's bold decision to marry someone of the same sex. Despite divided opinions, the kingdom celebrated the marriage. Flags and bunting were hung from the city walls, and homes therein, and the city took on a festival spirit.

The wedding took place a week after the announcement was made. The whole kingdom turned out to watch the young Princes marry atop the steps of their mighty church. Once the ceremony was over, and two became one, a huge party took place. Eliza looked on, she had never seen her son so happy. It hurt her heart to let him go, but he was a married man now. As the evening drew to a close, Eliza managed to grab a few minutes alone with her son.

"Congratulations, Draco, I hope you and Harry are going to be very happy together in your new life."

"Mama," said Draco affectionately. "What makes you think you're going anywhere? We're still young yet, and still need to be looked after."

"But what about your father?" Eliza asked anxiously.

"It was part of the agreement we made, so what do you think?" asked Draco, his grey eyes shining with hope.

"Yes! Yes of course I'll stay," replied Eliza with relief and happiness.

"Good! See you in the morning," said Draco before joining his husband.

Eliza's life finally felt complete. Not only was the secret out, but she got to stay with her son, and son-in-law. Silently she thanked the gods for their generosity. Looking to the sky, Eliza smiled gratefully.


End file.
